Carwythan Early Origins

The surname Carwythan was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. Cornwall was a land set apart, a land of mystique and quaint customs, more strongly related to Brittany and Wales than to England. It was not until the 10th century that they submitted to the Saxon rule of England. Since then, their influence has moved east into Devon, Somerset and Dorset.

Carwythan Spelling Variations

Carwythan Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Carwitham, Catwittam, Carwittam, Carwithem and many more.

Carwythan Early History

Carwythan Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carwythan research. Another 271 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1600, 1080, 1091, 1092, 1142, 1153, 1399 and 1538 are included under the topic Early Carwythan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carwythan Early Notables (pre 1700)

Carwythan Early Notables (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Carwythan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Carwythan the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

The Carwythan Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Carwythan Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.